Found this one in my brother's garden with plenty of large trees and shrubs.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Barbitistes_serricauda_20050822_751_part.jpg/300px-Barbitistes_serricauda_20050822_751_part.jpg
This message was edited Oct 6, 2007 9:40 PM
another view;
It looks spot on to me! Great shots bonitin!
http://www.david.element.ukgateway.net/grasshoppersandcrickets18saw-tailedbushcrickets1.htm
Thank you Wallaby!
The strange thing is that according to one of my insect books it doesn't occur in Belgium nor in the Netherlands, and that it is a specie from more southern regions, also the picture in the link you gave mentions South France...???
I did wonder about the location myself, but I do know I have insects which are not mentioned as being here too.
I googled and found a link I think which mentions it in Belgium, the 6th link down.
http://aolsearch.aol.co.uk/aol/search?invocationType=topsearchbox.webhome&query=Barbitistes+serricauda+belgium%27&cr=&lr=
It does look to be in Poland and the Netherlands too.
Yes, I see what you mean, but in the 4th link down it states that it is a rare specie that in Belgium is limited to the South (the Ardennes or the Wallony), while my brother lives in West-Flanders (the north), but it also states that it is a difficult one to inventorize because of it usually being in trees and shrubs, only coming to the ground to lay eggs.
perhaps not much of use to give you the link because of the language..;
http://www.saltabel.org/Nederlands/Soorten/Sabelsprinkhanen/Zaagsprinkhaan.htm.
I noticed that you also observed species in your garden that are supposed to be only occurring in the south of England, so this might be a similar thing. I think insects don't bother about scientists giving them a particular area to live in .. , or things are on the move all the time because of changing conditions...
Scientifically, a species has to be captured and properly identified and recorded in order to be listed. A sighting is not counted.
I have been inundated with so many different insects this year after the extreme warmth of last year, they are definitely on the move.
